1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an optical component having an optical fiber with a lens constituted by a single-mode optical fiber and a graded index optical fiber and a method of manufacturing the same.
2. Description of Related Art
Optical multiplexers/demultiplexers are used for wavelength division multiplex (WDM) communication in the field of optical communication. An optical multiplexer/demultiplexer is an optical component utilizing an optical fiber with a lens (optical fiber collimator) constituted by a single-mode optical fiber (hereinafter referred to as an SMF) and a graded index optical fiber (hereinafter referred to as a GIF).
In the case of an optical component such as an optical multiplexer/demultiplexer according to the related art, each of constituent parts such as a lens, an optical fiber, and optical elements is independently formed in a predetermined configuration in advance, and an optical axis aligning operation (active aligning) is performed to adjust the positions of the constituent parts while passing light through them. After the constituent parts are adjusted to the respective optimum positions, fixing operation is performed so as to hold the constituent parts at the respective optimum positions. As a result, there is a need for a great number of members, jigs, and facilities to hold the constituent parts, which constitutes a factor that can increase the cost of the optical component.
Patent Document 1 discloses a polarization-independent optical isolator as an optical component. The polarization-independent optical isolator includes a substrate formed with a V-shaped groove for setting an optical fiber with a lens and a recess which is orthogonal to the V-shaped groove and in which an isolator block is disposed. Thus, the number of components of the polarization-independent optical isolator can be very small, and an optical axis aligning operation for the same can be simple.
Patent Document 1: JP-A-2004-157318
Once an optical fiber with a lens is mounted on a substrate, it is difficult to adjust the position of the same thereafter. For this reason, in order to provide a polarization-independent optical isolator with high performance, the initial positioning of the optical fiber with a lens on the substrate must be performed with high accuracy. Unless the optical fiber with a lens is formed with high accuracy, it is difficult to provide the polarization-independent optical isolator with sufficiently high performance.
As thus described, in order to improve the performance of optical components of a polarization-independent optical isolator or the like, it is necessary to secure an optical fiber with a lens formed with high accuracy after positioning it with high accuracy. It is therefore difficult to manufacture the optical component with high performance, and a problem arises in that the cost of an optical component becomes high because of low yield of manufacture of the same.